Since the ART OF WATCHMEN book has come out, I feel comfortable posting the art I did for the 8 minutes I worked on the film...

First, the back story. I was contacted by representatives of 300 director Zack Snyder, while 300 was in postproduction, about doing designs for 4 of the 6 main characters from WATCHMEN. Zack wanted me to design the look of the characters, and then do 4 'cover-quality' color illustrations to hep convince the suits & ties at Warner Bros. Pictures to green-light his WATCHMEN film.

I did a first round of sketches, talked with Mr. Snyder, did a second round of looser sketches based on our discussions, and then was given the go-ahead to proceed with designing full illustrations. Since I was running late on CATWOMAN covers as well as other things, I was juggling the assignments. Since I do art for whomever yells the loudest, the WATCHMEN stuff took a minor backburner placing on my To Do List. I never heard from them, they never called or e-mailed saying "Hey, hurry up, you bastard!", so I worked on Selina Kyle.

Then, 300 came out.

It did so well in its opening weekend, Warner Bros. green-lit WATCHMEN the following Monday.

I guess my services weren't required, because I never heard back from the WATCHMEN people. I could've finished the color pieces on principle, like a good freelancer, but I'm so slow that my time is kinda precious, and I don't want to waste time drawing something that isn't going to be used. So, I just chalked it up to "That's business...".

The WATCHMEN people contacted me much later, asking for high-rez versions of the sketches for the inevitable ART OF book. I pointed out that, since I never actually did the assignment I was asked to do, I had never been paid. To their credit, once we agreed on a rate for just the sketches, they check arrived so fast, the envelope was warm, the ink was still wet, and the FedEx guy was out of breath. The WATCHMEN movie guys are a pretty respectable gang, as far as my experience goes.

*****Nite Owl*****

Zack Snyder told me he wanted a BATMAN movie approach to Nite Owl's look; the body-armor with believable tech and all that. No problem.

Now, I think WATCHMEN is one of the greatest novels ever written, and it'd Dave Gibbons' finest work in a brilliant career. I was actually working in a comic shop in New Jersey when the original issues were coming out, and I was there, reading every one as they came out. Dave's storytelling, his design work, EVERYTHING about WATCHMEN was, and remains, brilliant.

I wanted to give Zach what he asked for, but I wanted to honor Dave Gibbons' designs as well. I know that comics (like books and anything else) cannot be translated VERBATUM to the Big Screen, but I am not a big fan of the X-MEN/GI JOE approach, where the original look of the characters is almost ignored for the sake of not alienating the non-fan audience, and you end up with black leather jumpsuits and you almost need name tags on the chests to recognize characters. "Hello, My Name Is Wolverine".

I thought that no matter what details Nite Owl's costume had, as long as he kept Gibbons' 'owl silhouette', it would be a good design. Since the reason movie studios don't like superheros in tights (with the exception of Spider-Man and Superman, my 'never worked in Hollywood' first design (on the left) was a moody shot. If we don't show the general audience the 'silly superhero' by cloaking him in shadow (the way I figure guys like Nite Owl and Batman would prefer to operate), then everyone wins. Zack liked it, but rightly asked for a sketch showing details. Hence, the second looser sketch.

When I saw the first WATCHMEN trailer in front of DARK KNIGHT, I was tickled to see some of my suggestions surviving to the Big Screen. With Nite Owl, they seem to have kept my idea of Captain America-style scale mail, but elongated to look like bird feathers. Other than that, they took the design in a different direction.

I always go into a film with an open mind; I didn't care for the look of Heath Ledger's Joker in DARK KNIGHT, but once I saw it in the context of the film, I fell in love with it. I hope that's the case with Nite Owl, who is my favorite charatcer from the novel; I agree with his stance that it's OK to compromise your morals if it serves a greater good.

That being said, I really DON'T like how Nite Owl's costume looks in the film. They seem to have abandoned Dave Gibbon's wonderful design for what a pal of mine refers to as the 'Sad Batman' look. The type of owl that Nite Owl's mask is supposed to look like makes him look like he has Batman ears that are sad & droopy.

To be honest, I think this design was way better than the one in the film. The one in the film looked too much like Batman, and was nearly indistinguishable. However, this costume contains a lot more originality, and connects more to the book.

Cinema... its just like politics but I like the concept like your work too. Started getting into comic art this year 'cause getting help for fine art was complicated especially without $. plus I used to write screenplays for fun so I figured I'd give it a shot. You're my idol my friend.. keep em comin

Y'know, I saw the movie and I flipped through the art of book, and I really enjoyed the movie and the majority of the character designs. Ozymandias REALLY threw me out of it though. The guy came off so sinister and conniving, and I always felt like the character was someone who was benevolent and caring, right up until the minute he blows everything all to hell (after which I REALLY think he should have wept). Did you get the impression that he was slightly misinterpreted in the film?

I just get the impression that someone told Snyder that he had to make the antagonist the "bad guy," if that makes any sense.

I've seen the movie last hour and I prefear your version of Nite Howl and your design of Ozymandias is great (the greco-roman "plastron" is more apropriate for the "Alexandre le Grand" inspiration of Ozy)

Your silhouette here makes me happy beyond all reason. That was my major beef with the film design for Nite Owl, that he had stopped resembling the owl that he was supposed to be... or at least any owl that might be an imposing figure.

The detail with the elongated feather-scales is fantastic and I am so glad that they kept it! Being an ornithologist, I appreciate those little details!

Fantastic job with all the Watchmen sketches you did! Gorgeous! I've been rather impressed overall with all the work I have seen that has gone into keeping the spirit of the original book alive. Here's hoping for a fantastic movie!

Did you see that they had the lifesize movie Owlship (that's what she means by 'Archie', kids) at San Diego last year? I got to poke my head in, get my picture with it.... The action figures all look sweet. I bet we get an Archie for the 6" figures!

No way! Being an East Coaster (and a broke graduate student) I haven't been out to San Diego (but boy do I want to get out there...). That sounds SO COOL. I am jealous.

We should get a nice big Archie for the figures! Just like Veidt Corp. was going to make in the book!! And there better be a Bubastis, too...

...Too bad I don't have the big green Cringer/Battle Cat toy I had when I was a kid to keep Bubastis company. There's a horrible cross over that I don't really want to think about - although Rorschach punching He-Man in the face would be rather funny.

I agree with you here. If they at least kept the "head cape" of the Gibbons design and changed the shape of the cape, they could have still been "Batman-esque" without looking like a Batman ripoff like my non-comics friends think having only seen the trailers.

Cool, the backstory is nice on the sketches. I can't wait for the film, but my problem is that Nite Owl does'nt look overweight. In my mind that was what made you not really like him as a character. Rorshach had grown cold and hard while Nite Owl became soft and Fat. I always like that. I guess there are other ways to make him look a little like a wuss, which is integrel to the character. But I do miss that pudgy midsection. It's my only problem with the film, from what I've seen in the trailers, But like you said. i hope this falls into the Category of Ledger's joker and 'Organic Webshooters'. A good change for the film.

Ahhh, chubby nerds. They never get enough lovin'. By the way, my sister just read that and said you're cool.She wanted me to tell you that.

Yeah, I'm doing that book report on Watchmen, and it's really hard to explain Laurie's break-up with Jon.

"Well... these two were dating, untilhe was doing science while they were having sex, so she dumped him, and then he went to Mars.Now she's living with Dan, but he has a littletrouble in the bedroom. Anyways, thenAdrian blew up New York and Jon killed Rorschach.THE END!!! "

Ah, make some analogy that the squid represents impotence, and all the dead New Yorkers are wasted sperm/lives, and destroyed NYC symbolizes the death of the modern American family and it'll look like you're really intuitive. Teachers love reading into stuff.

I'm with you on Owlman; to me, he's the human center of Watchmen, the one you seem to spend the most time alone with. Unlike most of the rest, he's still kept his central insecurities, foibles, and emotions; and the interplay between him and Rorschach is arguably the best-realized relationship in the whole book. You did a great job reinterpreting that classic design. I just wish they'd used more of it in the final film.

I'm rather pessimistic about the movie. I hope Snyder steers away from the crassly indulgent slow-motion tableaux that made me roll my eyes all the way through 300. It was like watching someone post in all-caps on a messageboard for two hours. A complete lack of subtlety, and, when overused, a cheap way to make a shot dramatic. Unfortunately, I counted something like seventeen slo-mo shots in the trailer alone, so my hopes are low.

I've heard that many people are worried that WATCHMEN will be done on the same slow-motion/ramping editing technique that made 300 such a popular film, and that the filmmakers have gone on record saying there's nothing to worry about. Now, that's not saying "No, we have no slo-mo/ramping in WATCHMEN", so we'll all have to wait and see.

I remember when Peter Jackson was announced as the director for LORD OF THE RINGS, and I thought "The guy who made BRAIN DEAD and THE FRIGHTENERS? The guy who can't seem to NOT move his camera around like a maniac all the time?" I was nervous as hell going into LOTR, and Jackson did the right thing and brought a new side of himself as a filmmaker to the project. Maybe Mr. Snyder has more tricks up his sleeve than just what was in 300...

I hope so, too...although I also hope that Watchmen doesn't end up like Jackson's Lord of the Rings, which jettisoned the ending that made the whole journey worthwhile in favor of thirty minutes of crying hobbits. In slo-mo.